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| Introduction: Opening the Doors Cast and Crew Prelude Journal 2: ACT 1: Blacklisted! March 6 (Day 2) March 9 (Day 3) March 10-11 (Days 4-5) March 12-13 (Days 6-7) Journal 3: ACT 2: Welcome to Ferndale! March 20 (Day 9) March 21 (Day 10) March 22 (Day 11) March 23 (Day 12) Journal 4: March 26 (Day 13) March 27 (Day 14) March 28 (Day 15) March 29 (Day 16) March 30 (Day 17) Journal 5: April 2 (Day 18) April 3 (Day 19) April 4 (Day 20) April 5 (Day 21) April 6 (Day 22) Journal 6: April 8 (Day 23) April 9 (Day 24) April 10 (Day 25) April 11 (Day 26) April 12 (Day 27) Journal 7: April 16 (Day 28) April 17 (Day 29) April 18 (Day 30) April 19 (Day 31) April 20 (Day 32) April 23 (Day 33) April 24 (Day 34) April 25 (Day 35) April 26 (Day 36) Journal 8: April 30 (Day 37) May 1 (Day 38) May 2 (Day 39) May 3 (Day 40) May 4 (Day 41) May 7 (Day 42) May 8 (Day 43) Journal 9: May 10-11 (Days 44-45) May 14 (Day 46) May 15 (Day 47) May 16 (Day 48) May17 (Day 49) May 18 (Day 50) Journal 10: May 21 (Day 51) May 22 (Day 52) May 23 (Day 53) May 24 (Day 54) May 25 (Day 55) Journal 11: May 29 (Day 56) May 30 (Day 57) May 31 (Day 58) June 1 (Day 59) |
Journal 4 March 26 (Day 13) Weather causes the company to improvise its schedule today. While we return to the Ferndale Cemetery for a shot of actor Martin Landau at Luke’s grave, everyone relates how they spent their respective weekend (hiking for some; mountain biking for cameraman Emmerichs; an impromptu Oscar party at the Red Lion for about 30 of us to wind down Sunday night, at which Landau paid co-star Howe the “fin” after losing the Best Supporting Actor bet). Once we finish our short stint at the graveyard, we move back to Main Street (or its west end extension, called Francis Street) for Sc. 45 -- Ext. Lawson Main Street: Luke meets Ernie. Stars Carrey and Landau are joined by stage-and-screen veteran Jeffrey DeMunn (his first day on the set), who co-stars as Lawson’s Mayor, Ernie Cole.  DeMunn has appeared in five of Frank’s projects (this one plus “The Blob,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Green Mile,” HBO’s “Black Cat Run”) and is part of his acting repertory company that includes Whitmore, Brian Libby (Hal the Guard in “The Majestic”) and Brent Briscoe (Sheriff Coleman). DeMunn is one of those recognizable character actors, at ease on the Broadway stage (where he most recently triumphed in a revival of Arthur Miller’s “The Price”), on the movie screen (the psychiatrist called in to witness the unusual phenomenon happening to John Travolta in “Phenomenon”) and on television (the smalltown mayor in Stephen King’s miniseries, “Storm of the Century”). DeMunn, with whom I’ve worked twice (“The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Green Mile”) approaches his new role with fervor, playing Mayor Cole with a bit of jolly bravado, your typical hand-shaking, flag-waving smalltown leader. After logging several takes for his first scene in the film, we break for lunch. On the walk over to the Catholic Church which houses our caterer, art meets life -- Mayor Cole meets Ferndale’s Mayor Jeff Farley. I get still photographer Nelson to grab a couple of shots for Titus’ weekly newspaper, well knowing she will want to spotlight her mayor posing with our mayor. We are filming DeMunn’s first sequence immediately outside the Ferndale Enterprise office (on which a faux front has been erected with the name Lawson Beacon) and, yes, editor Titus casually wanders outside to snap some pictures for this week’s edition. We conclude our day with Scene 31 -- I/E Sheriff’s Car: Harry takes Luke home. Normally, when filming inside a moving vehicle, the “picture car” (that which appears in the film) gets towed by another called the “insert car.” The picture car is rigged to a tow trailer at ground level, creating the illusion that someone behind the wheel is actually driving. The company grips then mount a camera (or multiples) to the side of the car to film the dialogue. If three cameras are mounted, the director then has a choice of shots with which to cut back-and-forth in the scene. Frank, along with other key personnel, usually sit in the back of the insert vehicle so they can watch the scene unfold in the car being towed behind. Frank has devised a different plan for this scene -- a hand-held camera (operated by Emmerichs) in the back seat, with actor Briscoe (as the sheriff) behind the wheel, Landau in the front passenger seat, and Carrey in the rear. Briscoe will actually drive (no insert car is evident), with a small tow rig behind on which the electricians have placed a light to create the illusion of sunlight streaming through the back window of the police car. The company wraps before sundown and Curley’s once again becomes the restaurant of choice for cast and crew. We might begin tonight’s meal with a special concoction devised by one of the waitresses at Curley’s -- the “Majestic Martini”, an unusual and unique brew made of vodka, blue Curucao, cranberry juice and sweet-and-sour mix. Curley’s bartender, Willy (a recent transplant from San Francisco), makes the drink the way 007 would have preferred -- shaken, not stirred. Poured straight up in a chilled glass, the martini retains a purple hue, not unlike the colors of some of the neon lights that adorn the movie marquee on our set a half-block away. Tomorrow -- a newspaper editor creates the news! |
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